Lang Lang, the internationally acclaimed classical pianist, adds "rock musician" to his resume when he performs with the heavy metal band, Metallica, on tonight's Grammy Awards. Hampton Roads won't be hearing any rock tunes when he gives a solo recital Thursday, Feb. 13 in Norfolk's Chrysler Hall. At that program, billed as a pre-event for the 2014 Virginia Arts Festival, he'll play works by Mozart and Chopin. But the intensity that Lang Lang brings to his classical music-making prompted writer Susan Michals to call him a "rock star" in a piece she wrote for the Wall Street Journal more than two years ago. "Not in the typical sense - meaning, you're not going to see him double billed with U2 or Coldplay anytime soon (but never say never)

Lang Lang, the internationally acclaimed classical pianist, adds "rock musician" to his resume when he performs with the heavy metal band, Metallica, on tonight's Grammy Awards. Hampton Roads won't be hearing any rock tunes when he gives a solo recital Thursday, Feb. 13 in Norfolk's Chrysler Hall. At that program, billed as a pre-event for the 2014 Virginia Arts Festival, he'll play works by Mozart and Chopin. But the intensity that Lang Lang brings to his classical music-making prompted writer Susan Michals to call him a "rock star" in a piece she wrote for the Wall Street Journal more than two years ago. "Not in the typical sense - meaning, you're not going to see him double billed with U2 or Coldplay anytime soon (but never say never)

Metallica is in. Missy and Beyonce are out. That's the good news-bad news scenario on the Hampton Roads music scene this week. Rising Tide Productions --Bill Reid's Norfolk-based company -- announced that hard-rock heroes Metallica will play Norfolk's Scope on April 26. Godsmack will open the show, which will be performed in the round. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. today at the Scope box office and at Ticketmaster outlets. A limited number of standing-room floor tickets will be available for $75 plus service charges.

Metallica has posted its condolences on its Web site to the family and friends of Morgan Harrington, a fan whose remains were found three months after she disappeared while attending the band's concert in Charlottesville. The remains of the 20-year-old Virginia Tech student were found this week in a remote farm field about 10 miles from John Paul Jones Arena, where the band played Oct. 17. The cause of her death has not been determined. In a statement posted Wednesday on Metallica's Web site, the band said it is "profoundly saddened" by the discovery of Harrington's remains.

Eric Nielsen has spent the past two days talking to a television camera about his two favorite subjects - rocket science and heavy metal. Nielsen, a research scientist at NASA Langley Research Center and co-founder of a 500-member chapter of the Metallica fan club, will be profiled in "Fans," the pilot episode of a proposed series expected to run on cable music station VH-1 in early spring. When he was first asked to participate in the pilot, which will spotlight four avid fans of the San Francisco-based rock band, Nielsen expected to do a quick interview to provide a 10-second sound bite.

You can call it thinking man's metal, or you can call it hard rock. Just don't go calling Metallica a thrash band. The foursome, which plays Saturday at Norfolk Scope with Queensryche, eschews such primordial labels. The music may cause some heads to bang, but those brain pans could be put to better use. After all, Metallica's latest album, "... And Justice for All," features songs based on the Communist witch hunts of the 1950s; the thoughts of a person with no arms, legs or senses; and a general theme of detachment from justice.

ALEX CHEN York High School, Junior, tennis Q: Why do you enjoy tennis? A: I enjoy the one-on-one aspect of it. There are few other sports in which you are so isolated with your opponent. It becomes as much of a mental battle as it is a physical one, since you have no team on-court with you to support you. Also, just unloading some shots during practice is a great way to take out stress. Q: Do you have any hidden talents? A: I play piano, and I really enjoy a good Beethoven sonata or Liszt etude.

COLLATERAL Rating: R for violence and language. What it's about: A hit man forces a cab driver to help him do his job. The Kid Attractor Factor: It stars Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx and Jada Pinkett Smith. Good lessons/bad lessons: If there is any possible way for you to avoid contract killers, please do so. Violence: Yes. People get shot and beaten, and they fall out of windows, etc. Language: Quite a bit, including some of the rougher words. Sex: No. Drugs: Narcotics agents and deals are part of the plot.

Influential speed-metal pioneers Metallica return to Hampton Roads Monday night The idea of Metallica members entering group therapy to improve communication and better control their anger sounds like a story from the satirical newspaper The Onion, or a skit from "Saturday Night Live." But it actually happened, folks. What's more, it's coming to the silver screen. "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster," a soon-to-be-released documentary about the legendary heavy metal group, was filmed as the band was hammering together its Grammy-winning album "St. Anger."

Metallica is in. Missy and Beyonce are out. That's the good news-bad news scenario on the Hampton Roads music scene this week. Rising Tide Productions --Bill Reid's Norfolk-based company -- announced that hard-rock heroes Metallica will play Norfolk's Scope on April 26. Godsmack will open the show, which will be performed in the round. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. today at the Scope box office and at Ticketmaster outlets. A limited number of standing-room floor tickets will be available for $75 plus service charges.

Eric Nielsen has spent the past two days talking to a television camera about his two favorite subjects - rocket science and heavy metal. Nielsen, a research scientist at NASA Langley Research Center and co-founder of a 500-member chapter of the Metallica fan club, will be profiled in "Fans," the pilot episode of a proposed series expected to run on cable music station VH-1 in early spring. When he was first asked to participate in the pilot, which will spotlight four avid fans of the San Francisco-based rock band, Nielsen expected to do a quick interview to provide a 10-second sound bite.

Hampton police detectives are sharing information with other agencies about two men who were caught with items stolen from parked cars near the Hampton Coliseum Wednesday night. The vandals smashed side windows on three cars parked in the lot of the former Best Products across from the coliseum, where the heavy metal band Metallica was performing, said police Cpl. Jeff Walden. A citizen directed police to the pair around 8:30 p.m. "The caller reported two suspicious white males passing items across the fence from behind Best Products and along the back of Coliseum Garden Apartments," Walden said.

TORI TO THE RESCUE. A rape crisis center teaming up with a record company? It may seem unlikely, but singer Tori Amos is making it happen. She's bringing together the Washington, D.C., Rape Crisis Center and her label, Atlantic Records, to finance an 800 number to provide counsel to rape victims. It will be known as RAINN - Rape Abuse and Incest National Network. "We're trying to get the phone number now. There's a lot involved. The D.C. Crisis Center is putting the help side together - and Atlantic is putting the business side together," says Amos.